The Temples and Shrines of Nara, Japan
The statue of the Buddha at the large Todai-ji temple in Nara, Japan, is the largest bronze statue of the Buddha in the world.
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Images from Shirakawa-Go, Japan
Shirakawa-go is a well preserved Japanese village that represents rural life in Japan from a few centuries ago.
Temple Ruins, Hiraizumi, Japan
At the Motsu-Ji site in the World Heritage town of Hiraizumi, Japan, most of the huge temple complex built in the 8th Century has been destroyed by wars, fires, and earthquakes over the years.
The Temple of the Golden Pavilion, Kyoto, Japan
The most famous temple in Japan, the gilded Temple of the Golden Pavilion of Kyoto, was intentionally burned to the ground in 1950 by a deranged monk.
Visiting the A-Bomb Memorials in Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Seeing the stark record of the atomic bomb destruction in Hiroshima and Nagasaki makes us reflect yet again on the horror of war.
Itsukushima Shrine, near Hiroshima, Japan
The Itsukushima shrine, a torii arch set into the sea near Hiroshima, and its attendant Noh theater stage, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Temples of Nikko, Japan
The temples of Nikko, Japan are some of the most ornate in Japan. The Nikko shrines were built by the Tokugawa Shoguns in the17th to 19th Centuries.
Roadside Shinto Shrine, Nikko, Japan
This Shinto shrine was tucked into a hillside right next to the highway. Nikko is the home to some of the most distinctive Shinto shrines in Japan.
Our Very Own Guided Tour of England
Who doesn’t love the information imparted by a zealous local who guides you around their turf like a friend. Even better if he or she is a friend. Oliver Nicholson … Read more
Durham Cathedral, England
The pillars and walls at Durham Cathedral, built in the 11th Century, are so massive when compared to the delicacy of the Exeter Cathedral, built almost 400 years later. The bulk is relieved slightly by carved design visible on the left pillars, but the overall sense is one of pure weight.